Zes putti met een banderol 1684 - 1753

Jan de Lairesse created this drawing of six putti with a banner at an unknown date. It’s a sketch, really, and therefore feels immediate and intimate. During the 17th and 18th centuries, putti were used to communicate ideas. Here they are lighthearted and sensual. The putti exemplify the representation of innocence, yet, when viewed through the lens of contemporary awareness, they represent a complex intersection of societal expectations. They are not children, but idealized figures that speak to the historical and cultural contexts of innocence, gender, and power. The sketch invites reflection on societal issues around purity, desire, and representation. The drawing isn’t trying to be controversial, which makes it so. It invites you to look at historical visual languages and how these figures are perceived, and received, across time.